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Archaeologists are too scared to open the tomb of China's first emperor because they fear booby traps (www.businessinsider.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by someguy3@lemmy.ca to c/world@lemmy.world

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[-] darmabum@lemm.ee 45 points 1 year ago

They mention high mercury levels as a trap or from wine that the emperor drank, but neither is likely (they often used to add lead to wine as a sweetener, but not mercury AFAIK). But, mercury contamination in tombs, especially in Asia, is very common from the heavy use of the deep red pigment cinnabar, also called vermillion, which is mercury sulfide.

[-] PassingDuchy@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago

Faik the worry isn't from wine the emperor drank (though I think the consensus is he did take a hell of a lot of mercury as medicine believing it'd give immortality). It's the described artistic floor map of China (at the time) with the rivers of liquid mercury suggested as being real by the high mercury readings.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 year ago

They mention that they think rivers were recreated in the tomb using mercury.

[-] Cortell@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I’ve heard of lead being used as sweetener for the Romans but never the Chinese

[-] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Dude the emperor used to take his boat out on a lake of mercury.

[-] tiredofsametab@kbin.social 38 points 1 year ago

Fear of damaging the tomb, as mentioned near the end (archaeology is a destructive process in many cases, and there's always new technology coming that could have told us more if we hadn't disturbed something) is definitely a thing. I also think there's a worry that it's not what they think it is and there will be great disappointment. It's not thought to have been looted in antiquity, but that also doesn't mean it wasn't.

[-] teft@startrek.website 36 points 1 year ago

Only the penitent man will pass.

[-] lingh0e@lemmy.film 12 points 1 year ago

"I" not "J".

[-] MrMcGasion@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

And what else? I'm a very lonely man.

[-] eldoom@lemm.ee 25 points 1 year ago

Alright so how about we build an air tight enclosure around a small part of the door, just big enough to get, say, a small drone through. A mechanical part of this enclosure would be saws or something to breech the door. Would probably want to draw a vacuum in the enclosure first just in case.. maybe the enclosure could act as an airlock so researchers could access the drone for charging, upgrading, repairs, and whatnot?

I heard of this tomb when I was really young and ever since I've kinda used it as an engineering exercise in my head. Sometimes I draw things out for myself but this is the first time I've ever told anyone about it lol

[-] SuddenDownpour@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

The solution will definitely require one or several bots or drones of some sort, but even the act of getting the bot inside might trigger a trap that damages the room itself. I suppose the archeologists will eventually have to request resources to set up a combined team that involves engineers.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Why not drill in some area you are pretty sure isn't very significant and just feed a scope in and have a look around?

[-] axh@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

Where are all the archeologists inspired by Indiana Jones when they finally got a chance for adventure?

[-] Tangent5280@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Why would anyone even be an archaeologist if it wasn't to live out their Indiana Jones fantasies?

[-] wurzelgummidge@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Still sat behind their screens excavating their sinuses and daydreaming

[-] yool_ooloo@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

I've never heard of an archaeologist too scared of a new endeavor. (I have no friends and fewer archeologist friends.)

[-] baked_tea@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

Does that mean you have some archaeologist enemies?

[-] sndmn@lemmy.ca 26 points 1 year ago

Those would be... arch enemies then.

[-] Phattybluntz@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

"So once again, Jones, what was briefly yours is now mine."

[-] luthis@lemmy.nz 17 points 1 year ago

Well, they definitely don't need to worry about crossbows.

[-] Treczoks@kbin.social 9 points 1 year ago

Well, there are still the other classics: Floors that drop away to unseen depths, swinging blades, large round boulders, mimics...

[-] luthis@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 year ago

We can only hope

[-] FoxBJK@midwest.social 9 points 1 year ago

So just snakes then?

[-] Jerkface@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Snakes with crossbows.

[-] luthis@lemmy.nz 7 points 1 year ago

Yep, but the snakes are also going to be extra crunchy

[-] PersnickityPenguin@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago

I think they are mostly afraid of the lake of mercury killing them when they open the door.

[-] Barrelephants@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

They just need to bring a rogue to check for traps.

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Meh I would be willing to go in with some kinda chemical protection suit. No way those crossbows are still working.

[-] sturmblast@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I'm certain this could be done safely

[-] victron@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, but that wouldn't make click-baity articles.

[-] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.net 5 points 1 year ago

Do they really think crossbows are still going to be under tension

[-] 5BC2E7@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

You could keep some strong acid in some kind of sealed glass container

[-] ryannathans@lemmy.fmhy.net 9 points 1 year ago

You could also keep strong acid on paper tabs, sealed, wrapped up with dessicant and put in a dark cold place like a freezer

[-] WanderingCrow@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

The emperor knew how to party

[-] jayrodtheoldbod@midwest.social 4 points 1 year ago

Honestly, I would expect spike traps, those might be deadly indefinitely

[-] spiderjuzce@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 1 year ago

Hehe booby

[-] jayrodtheoldbod@midwest.social 4 points 1 year ago

He saw them coming from a thousand years away.

[-] Techmaster@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Booby twaps

[-] Depress_Mode@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

"That's what I said, 'booty twaps'!"

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this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023

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